Israel: Positive Reactions to King Abdallah’s Proposal
The Great Ashkenazic Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger received favorably the proposal of King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia. He gave his blessing “to any initiative which may prevent bloodshed and terror, especially in our part of the world,” in the pages of the Israelite daily The Jerusalem Post. The Great Rabbi added that militarism and terror in the 21st century were mainly motivated by religious reasons. This is why, he continued, dialogue between religions is the best antidote to stop this. “When Oussama ben Laden speaks of punishing Europe or Israel, he speaks in the name of religion. Therefore, it is most important to hear that moderate (sic) elements of Islam express their opinions. We must hope that they will positively influence Muslim masses.” And he affirmed that if an imam in Saudi Arabia sends out a message of moderation and peace, “this might save the life of a Jew in Paris.”
On his part, Rabbi David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committe, judged that it was the first time Saudis had shown a desire to engage interreligious dialogue with the Jews. “I only hope that the proposal will include Jewish officials of Israel,” he added.
The Great Sefaradic Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar also encouraged the idea of an interreligious dialogue “as long as it comes from a sincere desire.” (Sources: Apic/israelinfo.net)
